ABBA - Jean-Marie Potiez

In April 1974, Abba stormed to victory in the Eurovision Song Contest with "Waterloo", resplendent in their shiny satin costumes and silver platform boots. More than 25 years and 350 million record sales later, Abba's popularity remains undiminished, even though the group has not recorded a note since they split up in 1983. From instant dancefloor-fillers like "Dancing Queen" to sing-a-long ballads like "The Winner Takes It All", Abba's legacy of classic pop songs is unequalled.;Between "Waterloo" and the break-up, Abba had nine Number Ones in the UK, and spent a total of 265 weeks in the charts. Worldwide, they are the second biggest-selling band of all time, surpassed only by the Beatles. When Polygram released the greatest-hits collection "Abba Gold" in 1992, it helped to kickstart a huge Abba revival; the album has sold more than 15 million copies to date and is still making appearances in the UK Top 10. Abba songs played a key role in hit movies such as "Muriel's Wedding" and "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", and "Mamma Mia!", a musical written around 27 Abba songs, opened in London in April 1999 and is still one of the hottest tickets in the West End. On the Internet, there are more than 380 web sites dedicated to Abba, and Abba imitators Bjorn Again (one of six tribute bands) have become a successful group in their own right.;"Abba: The Book" is the definitive history of thr group, fully illustrated throughout with hundreds of photographs, many of which are from Abba's private archive. Drawing on interviews with the group and their manager and mentor, Stig Anderson, the book relates in detail the story of Abba's career, including their years as teen idols in Sweden before Eurovision, the recording of their nine hit albums, their numerous world tours, the making of "Abba - The Movie", a gallery of their most outrageous costumes, and a full discography.